2 from Medina sentenced to state prison

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 May 2014 at 12:00 am

MEDINA – A Medina woman who sold a prescription narcotic and a Medina man who stole a kayak and sold it online were both sentenced to state prison.

Lori Martinez, 46, of Park Avenue in Medina was sentenced to 1 ½ years in state prison by Orleans County Court Judge James Punch.

Martinez pleaded guilty on Feb. 24 to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree. She is accused of selling hydrocodone and another prescription narcotic on May 18. The prescriptions were prescribed to her. She received $25 for the sale.

Her attorney, Michael O’Keefe, asked that the judge not sentence her to jail or prison. Martinez takes care of two grandchildren and has been volunteering in the community.

“She has learned from her mistakes,” O’Keefe said in court on Monday.

Martinez apologized for committing the crime.

“I know I made a bad mistake and I’m working on making myself a better person,” she told Judge Punch.

The judge said Martinez has a criminal history and she was profiting by selling drugs. He sentenced her to 1 ½ years in state prison, plus another year of post-release supervision. She also has to pay back $970.68 in welfare benefits.


Justin Tillinghast, 19, of 167 North St. was sentenced to 1 to 3 years in state prison for grand larceny and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.

Tillinghast allegedly took a kayak from a neighbor and sold it on eBay. His lawyer asked for no state prison for Tillinghast, especially because he was only 18 when he committed the crime.

But Tillinghast has a criminal history, Punch said during sentencing.

“It’s clear to me you’re out of control and you don’t seem to take responsibility for this crime,” Punch said.